Photographer Pete Souza’s Three Personal Favorite Photographs

THREE is a new series from The Crit House where photographers reflect on three images from their own archives—images that hold deep meaning, represent major bodies of work, or define their creative journey. Whether they choose their most iconic photographs, turning points in their careers, or images tied to unforgettable stories, each episode invites viewers into a personal and thoughtful exploration of what makes an image truly matter.

Our first guest in the series is renowned photographer, Pete Souza a celebrated American photojournalist known for being the Chief Official White House Photographer for Presidents Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama, and the Director of the White House Photography Office. His extensive career also includes national photojournalism for The Chicago Tribune, freelance work for National Geographic, and teaching photojournalism at Ohio University. He has published several best-selling books, including Obama: An Intimate Portrait, and was the subject of the 2020 documentary The Way I See It.

Enjoy Pete Souza’s top influences here.

Enjoy my #MyFive here.

12 Photographers Share Their Top 5 Influences

I talk about my top five photographic influences with Jeff Larason (The Crit House).

It’s always useful to be familiar with a host’s sensibilities, so check out Jeff Larason’s Top 5.

 

At The Crit House, Jeff Larason has been hosting a fascinating series of videos in which photographers share their Top 5 Influences and the reasons why.

They’re informative and inspiring!

There are over 100 videos to choose from.

I’ve cherry-picked a dozen highlights for you.

Sam Abell 

David Duchemin

Cig Harvey

Brooks Jensen

Ed Kashi

Sara Leen

Rania Matar

Arthur Meyerson

Daniel Milnor

Eugene Richards

Aline Smithson

Nevada Weir

Laura Wilson

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Photographer Neal Rantoul Discusses The Role Of Books In His Career

Jeff Larason (The Crit House) offers a second installment in his new series on photographers’ books.

Photographer Neal Rantoul shares insights on how creating books fuels his creative life.

“Neal Rantoul is a career artist and educator. He retired after 30 years as head of the Photo Program at Northeastern University in Boston in 2012. He taught at Harvard University for thirteen years as well. He now devotes his efforts full time to making new work and bringing earlier work to a national and international audience. With over 60 one-person exhibitions over the length of his career.” He’s produced dozens of books of his work.